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Update! John Hillcoat's THE ROAD Stretching Into 2009?

"Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD is a big ol' downer" by GodMars	Oct 16th, 2008 12:50:59 PM
REALLY?? You don't say! LOL, I mean, of course its a downer, have you read the book? Great book, but its heartbreaking.
FUCK Cormac McCarthy.... by DANNYGLOVERS_DICKBLOOD	Oct 16th, 2008 12:56:04 PM

I would sooner read John McCains biography... by DANNYGLOVERS_DICKBLOOD	Oct 16th, 2008 12:56:46 PM
...than another snore-fest from good old Cormac. Overrated fucking arrogant prick.
Damn... by Karl Childers	Oct 16th, 2008 12:57:49 PM
This was my most anticipated movie this Fall.
Loved the book, and yeah it's a downer (mostly) by SkinJob69	Oct 16th, 2008 12:59:13 PM
But there are some glints of hope in there as well, and they are all the more special due to the overall gloomy outlook of the story. Don't want to get into spoilers here, so I'll stop there. If the reviewer mentioned above hasn't read the book, and if he's bitching about the movie being a "downer", then he has no credibility in my opinion. If this is done well, this could rank up there with the likes of Blade Runner or THX-1138 for depicting a human struggle in a dystopian world. November or December- I can wait, as long as it's a faithful, well-executed adaptation of McCarthy's story.
Was just wondering where the HELL the trailer was by Nice Marmot	Oct 16th, 2008 01:00:39 PM
My only skepticism w/ this project was the fleshing out a part for C.Theron as the wife & mother. "a complete fiasco on every creative level" wasn't what I wanted to read. Now lets get some Road & McCarthy bashing in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . . .
THE ROAD is one of the best books written! by Flaggg	Oct 16th, 2008 01:00:49 PM
And yes, it is a downer! And very emotional. I doubt the American movie-seeing public has the ABILITY to absorb such a book -- or movie -- and understand the point Cormac is making with it. Most people will just see a bleak movie, but just like NO COUNTRY, THE ROAD has more going on than the story on the top of it.
Dickblood- you have absolutely no taste by SkinJob69	Oct 16th, 2008 01:01:07 PM
in novels or presidential candidates, for that matter. Which of McCarthy's "snore-fests" have you read? I'm going to guess none (and as usual you're talking out your ass.)
Flagg- have you read Blood Meridian? by SkinJob69	Oct 16th, 2008 01:03:24 PM
Cannot wait for that on the big screen. Fantastic read.
That review at CHUD.... by Karl Childers	Oct 16th, 2008 01:04:51 PM
makes it sound like the movie is extremely faithful to the book.
A downer? Did you read the book by Rupee88	Oct 16th, 2008 01:05:17 PM
Yes the whole book is a downer...it's well written but most of it is ultimately depressing...mild spoiler ---they 3/4 of book starving and looking for food....not a happy tale.
oh Beaks is being sarcastic... by Rupee88	Oct 16th, 2008 01:08:30 PM
took me reading the whole article to get that. Anyway, I didn't understand why they made this into a film and I still don't. And "The Proposition" is a very cool movie, despite it's flaws.
Thanks for the Talkback, Beaks. by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 16th, 2008 01:09:54 PM
Yeah, I already saw the discussion about this over on CHUD and it does not sound good. Just reading the comments made my heart sink a little as this is/was my most anticipated film for the end of the year. I'm not sure what to make of the test screening and focus group. But a big ol' sigh and "Say it ain't so!" comes to mind. Lets hope that the finished product comes off better than this surprising development. Damn.
Snore fest? by BangoSkank	Oct 16th, 2008 01:10:54 PM
You have no fucking idea what you're talking about. One of the best books I've read in the last ten years. The best would likely be The Blood Meridian.
cormac mccarthy by Rupee88	Oct 16th, 2008 01:11:31 PM
I tried to get into All the Pretty Horses, but it just bored me for about 50 pages and I finally had to bail. I love No Country For Old Men though, esp the audiobook because of the great performance that it adds to the text. I listened the audiobook for the Road too..there's no way I would have sat down and read that entire book. I was usually outside hiking while listening to it and it still bummed me out, despite the lovely surroundings.
DGDB by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 16th, 2008 01:12:33 PM
I'm going to assume that you were just kidding with that post of yours up there. And I'll also assume that it was just part of your way of making sure you have a post in EVERY Talkback...
Yeah, I need some second opinions here by Phimseto	Oct 16th, 2008 01:14:05 PM
Props to to guy for writing about the screening but a lot of the comments that he overheard (or felt) speak more about the audience to me than about the film.
RE: BLOOD MERIDIAN by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 16th, 2008 01:15:16 PM
This was just a topic of conversation over in the recent Ridley Scott TB. Apparently, Ridley Scott is no longer attached to BLOOD MERIDIAN. The writing and directing duties are now in the hands of Todd Field (IN THE BEDROOM). This is a very interesting and rather under the radar development.
"Dan! We're in a Tight Spot!" by xevoid	Oct 16th, 2008 01:18:48 PM
Sorry. I read the last sentence of this eview and I had to quote O Brother Where Art Thou? Tight Spot!
Brilliant book...idiot reviewer by Ninja Nerd	Oct 16th, 2008 01:25:03 PM
I think if you've haven't read the source material, you have very little credibility reviewing a faithful adaption on screen. I mean, if a reviewer had never seen or read any Tolkien, what would his/her reaction be to Jackson's movies? As for "The Road", it's a brilliant work. As is. I can see expanding the outline for the wife a little, but you'd need to read the book for me to explain why and I'm not in a spoiler-ish frame of mind today. I got to meet Jay Cronley, the writer of "Quick Change" and "Good Vibes". QC kept the same name and had Bill Murray as the bank robber clown. The plot was stolen for the recent (and pretty good) "Inside Man". GV became "Let It Ride" with Richard Dreyfuss and Terri Garr. Anyway, Cronley is writing screenplays, among other things currently, and talked at length about the difficulty of translating stories to the screen. His example; "...they charged up the hill to attack." is 7 words and takes a second to read. On film, it translated to a 20 minute action sequence. That's an extreme, but you get the idea. For me, I hope "The Road" sticks really close to the written road and avoids 20 minutes of filler or "shiny, happy" stuff throughout.
O Brother....it's "DAMN, we're in a tight spot!" by Ninja Nerd	Oct 16th, 2008 01:29:01 PM

Good Book but maybe unadaptable by ScottinDC	Oct 16th, 2008 01:29:18 PM
The Road is a good book..it is NOT, however, the masterpiece some claim (the complete lack of dialogue punctation is a bit ridiculous and tedious). But it is a solid and emotional work...perhaps one that reminds people in some ways of Hemingway at its finer moments (so people remember the book as a little better than perhaps it really is). But - for those of us who have read it....is this book really adaptable? Somehow, I'm thinking not. Much of the book is reflective and without specific narrative (and the action sequences are sporadic). Several pages passing as the Father looks at his Son as he reconciles ways to shelter his fragile psyche as they make their way to the coast. Since I first heard they were making this into a film, I've wondered how it could be adapted - it was never written with the 'silver screen' in mind and defies many of the formulaic narratives needed to be easily adapted.
A More Informed Review From CHUD's Message Board by mrbeaks	Oct 16th, 2008 01:31:00 PM
This guy read the book: http://tinyurl.com/4bbdth. And no worries, zom-bot.com.
Can't imagine this will do well... by Benjamin Horne	Oct 16th, 2008 01:31:51 PM
The book was virtually plotless. It doesn't seem like something that would translate well to cinema at all.
FOCUS GROUP DIDNT LIKE IT??? by uberman	Oct 16th, 2008 01:31:54 PM
Thats a HUGE surprise!! An slow, empty, bleak story without a happy ending..and they did'nt like it? Tell em to rent PRETTY WOMAN. I'm sure that one rated quite high on Focus Group screenings. I call bullshit. Release the picture. Your average american will be confused and disappointed that Will Smith does'nt have a cameo in which he saves the day. The rest of us will be just fine. Just don't expect crushing Box Office numbers, because its not that kind of story. The fact that FOCUS GROUP did not like it means its probably a masterpeice.
Mr. Nice Gaius by DANNYGLOVERS_DICKBLOOD	Oct 16th, 2008 01:32:02 PM
I'm actually only in 4 TB's right now. Not actually conversing. Just random postings. Fuck my job is boring as shit.
UGH. by Karl Childers	Oct 16th, 2008 01:40:10 PM
That 2nd review just made me pull what's left of my hair out.
DGDB by skimn	Oct 16th, 2008 01:43:45 PM
It was a week ago on this site that Danny stated "(John)Carpenter fucking sucks", and said that Big Trouble was his only good film...so really, what do you expect..
Border trilogy by ScaryJim	Oct 16th, 2008 01:44:56 PM
Was amazing, apart from maybe the last book, I'd have liked to have had them meet but it took up with them already knowing each other. Didn't feel much for either of the characters in the last book, I thought they just acted a bit stupidly considering what they'd been through before. The road is indeed dark and slow. It should not be pitched as an post apocalyptic thriller but no doubt it will. I could imagine it being filmed more like Tarkovskys 'Stalker', like that the concept is cool and attracts people who are into sci fi but then it scares 3/4 of those pople off with the slow meditative pace.
So, sounds like the movie is a wash... by sapno_krei	Oct 16th, 2008 01:45:56 PM
Glad I read the book first.
Updated w/ First AICN Reader Review by mrbeaks	Oct 16th, 2008 01:46:17 PM
And an insanely positive one at that.
Blood Meridian & Ridley Scott by Admiral Akwelches	Oct 16th, 2008 01:48:38 PM
Is anybody else a little timid about Blood Meridian being in the hands of Sir Ridley? His quick camera movements will destroy the expanse of the story, I believe. Also, anybody have a thought to the cast??? The Judge is almost uncastable, in my opinion.
Everything I fear about this adaptation by drturing	Oct 16th, 2008 01:49:08 PM
Is in that second chud review, to wit "They took the story and turned into an overly sentimental, repetitive trudge through a grey, snow-covered landscape. There's no thematic weight, there is no emotional connect with the characters, the big-name cameos are insulting " the very first thought I had when I read this book was that whoever makes it should make for damn sure that it has NO score. the road is a post - post apocalyptic story, a world stripped of everything safe and familiar but for lost fragments. having music is just WRONG. and beefing up Theron's part is wrong.
VITAMIN WATER? by drturing	Oct 16th, 2008 01:50:03 PM
Fucking product placement for Vitamin Water in The Road? Are you fucking kidding me? Weinstein go fuck off with Rachel Zoe and your fashion pals with your shitty reality competition and leave filmmaking to people who actually care about making good films.
Re: the insanely positive review by TrumpyEatsPotatoes	Oct 16th, 2008 01:51:15 PM
If the flick ends up being even a fraction as divisive as it seems to be from these early screeners, it's a good thing. After all, the book isn't something you really "enjoy". It's a damn great novel, but you don't "enjoy" something like that.
One of the wonders of the book... by sapno_krei	Oct 16th, 2008 01:51:31 PM
...is that I read it in the heat of summer, but McCarthy's vivid descriptions had me shivering like it was the dead of winter.
Ridley Scott is off Blood Meridian by CarmillaVonDoom	Oct 16th, 2008 01:54:18 PM
Which is just as well. There doesn't seem to be a reason to me to even make a movie of it in the first place.
Beat me to it MNG by CarmillaVonDoom	Oct 16th, 2008 01:55:05 PM
I'm a fucking imbecile!
this better get released by SpawnofAchilles	Oct 16th, 2008 01:56:20 PM
sigh Why are people so stupid and tasteless? It sounds exactly like the book...this is a good thing. I like feeling good walking out of a movie too but it doesn't need to happen EVERY FUCKING TIME
Ridley On BLOOD MERIDIAN by mrbeaks	Oct 16th, 2008 01:57:00 PM
And why it probably shouldn't be made (about three-quarters of a way through this interview): http://tinyurl.com/4kr3t2
Admiral Akwelches by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 16th, 2008 01:57:06 PM
Please see my post at 01:15:16 PM.
CarmillaVonDoom by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 16th, 2008 01:57:23 PM
No worries!
I knew that CHUD guy didn't know what he was talking about by slone13	Oct 16th, 2008 02:37:38 PM
I did.
Looks like CHUD is running the Todd Field news. by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 16th, 2008 02:40:42 PM
Someone must have stole my nugget and sent Devin an email. Thief! ;^)
drturing, you're in idiot by slone13	Oct 16th, 2008 02:41:38 PM
Thinking the movie didn't require a score is stupid.
THIS JUST IN!!!.........: by Ray Gamma	Oct 16th, 2008 02:45:42 PM
The studio has just announced that they've salvaged the film by re-shooting the ending. It will now feature Viggo's character telling his son that it was all just a joke, as they arrive at a house full of tasty food, and fizzy drinks and balloons, where Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan and Will Smith are having a surprise party for them. The movies ends with all of them dancing down The Road to the thumping club anthem "I Like To Move It Move It..."
Not to take anything away from Jonny Greenwood... by SleazyG.	Oct 16th, 2008 02:51:31 PM
...but Nick Cave did this sort of thing for the soundtrack to "The Proposition" years before Greenwood scored "There Will Be Blood". They may be similar, but Nick Cave got there first.
mrbeaks thanks for the link by CarmillaVonDoom	Oct 16th, 2008 02:53:36 PM
I can't even conceive of what this movie would look like. Should be left alone imo.
Book was great by Kizeesh	Oct 16th, 2008 03:05:09 PM
Review was shit. Bloody peons don't understand anything. They ought to test it in the UK, We understand concepts other than 1 man vs ageneric bad guys, and the amusing comedy antics of a man wanting to shag an unobtainably beautiful woman.
Great book, great cast, although Ray Winstone woulda by Stormwatcher	Oct 16th, 2008 03:10:11 PM
been better than GUy Pearce for the ending. When I fist read All the Pretty Horses I though of Matt Damon so was happy he was the star and not Leo DiCaprio who was the first choice. Would love to see Billy Bobs 3 hour adaption of that. Why no Blue Ray of his cut? I mean McCarthy is hot now and no one saw ATPH in theatres so give it a go man. Viggo always delivers, Eastern Promises needs a sequel or another 45 minutes, I so want to know more about his character in that. I don't cry at movies much, except K-9 and the Incredible Journey (when I was a kid cuz I love dogs) but I am sure being a dad now that this will choke me up the way the book did. I'd do anything to protect my little girl.
Zom Bot is right by ScottinDC	Oct 16th, 2008 03:14:52 PM
He's supposed to be 10 years old in the book...NOT five. His perceived lac of maturity on the book was due to his societal and environmental alienation....almost no contact with anyone but his dad. In fact, when he sees another boy (who's like 12) in the burned out city, he wants to go after him. The kid in the book is NOT five....but take it with a grai of salt: CHUD's reviews are largely written by folks not familiar with the source material (with a couple exceptions).
skimn by DANNYGLOVERS_DICKBLOOD	Oct 16th, 2008 03:18:38 PM
I said that last week? Damn. That is a very accurate statement. I make no apologies for it. John Carpenter does indeed suck....and Big Trouble In Little China IS his only good film.
So, Basically...It's Just Like the Book by DKT	Oct 16th, 2008 03:30:48 PM
Sounds like CHUD's reviewer thought he was going to be watching Doomsday or something. Everything he bitched about is in the book. And I take comfort that people who did read the book and saw the movie thought the movie worked. Bummer it'll get pitched back to next year, though. I was looking forward to being depressed this winter.
fuck you slone13 you conventionally minded bore by drturing	Oct 16th, 2008 03:32:11 PM
remember the score in No Country for Old Men? A film of the Road should've been mostly shot around Chernobyl or at the Ural Sea, with incredible atmosphere tracks, and not a single note of music telling you what to feel. The thing that terrifies me is it sounds like they did a few things to try and make The Road more palpable to the Sarah Palins of the world with a few minor "oh yeah a flashback at the start with the wife". It sounds like The Road Warrior is going to remain an even more brutal and bleak depiction of things.
Agreed about the boy's age by Ray Gamma	Oct 16th, 2008 03:32:31 PM
I read him as being about 10 years old too, (and I agree about the interpretation that he was a bit naive due to having no contact with anyone but his father.) Anyway, the fact that CHUD's low-brow reviewer didn't like it is giving me a lot of encouragement that this adaptation might actually be pretty faithful to what was my favourite book of the past ten years.
This is where test audiences will fuck us all by IndustryKiller!	Oct 16th, 2008 03:35:26 PM
That first CHUD review proves it. If you need the apocalypse explained to enjoy the film then please just don't see the movie, or any movie for that matter. It's not important. This is a movie about a father and a son in extraordinary circumstances and that circumstance happens to be the apocalypse. It's about how paternal love, at its best, is hope without end that doesn't need to be justified to live on. It's about a father, doing whatever it takes, to see his son through to survival until his body can carry him no further, because it's the only choice he has. And it's supposed to be grim, devastatingly grim, and thats what makes that love so beautiful. It's really a brilliant book about hope even in the most dire of circumstances. I suppose modern audiences are too ridiculously dense to understand something like that if the visuals aren't that of You've Got Mail. Pathetic.
bleak for the sake of bleak by bluebottle	Oct 16th, 2008 03:36:27 PM
but really, what's the point? i read the book and although i enjoyed it, it felt like an emo-kid's wet dream. i enjoy bleak, but as long as it's saying something... this really didn't say anything new that hasn't been said a million times in a million other dystopian stories.
And let's stop with the negative hype right this second by IndustryKiller!	Oct 16th, 2008 03:38:21 PM
Because there is not a shred of evidence to believe it. You've got a test audience of morons and a guy who CLEARLY missed the point. The second CHUD review is a bit better and insightful but I dont see how they couldnt fix some of the flaws. First of all scaling up Therons role is a huge mistake obviously done just to trade off her name. In the book she gets one scene in which she's wel past the point of emotional return and even that is merely filler to give some background and making it more than that is at the expense of the story.
Bluebottle I explain the point above by IndustryKiller!	Oct 16th, 2008 03:40:42 PM
The story had to be that bleak so the power of a fathers love for his son could stand in righteous opposition to it. If you think it was bleak just to make the reader miserable then you flat out didnt get it. I thought it was never anything less than beautiful and utterly real. it didn't depress me in the least.
re: "Industrykiller!" above by Ray Gamma	Oct 16th, 2008 03:41:33 PM
QUOTE: "That first CHUD review proves it. If you need the apocalypse explained to enjoy the film then please just don't see the movie, or any movie for that matter. It's not important. This is a movie about a father and a son in extraordinary circumstances and that circumstance happens to be the apocalypse. It's about how paternal love, at its best, is hope without end that doesn't need to be justified to live on. It's about a father, doing whatever it takes, to see his son through to survival until his body can carry him no further, because it's the only choice he has. And it's supposed to be grim, devastatingly grim, and thats what makes that love so beautiful. It's really a brilliant book about hope even in the most dire of circumstances. I suppose modern audiences are too ridiculously dense to understand something like that if the visuals aren't that of You've Got Mail. Pathetic." BRAVO! You summed it up there. This talkback can be closed now because this post says all there is that needs to be said.
I implore the filmmakers to NIX THE SCORE!!! by IndustryKiller!	Oct 16th, 2008 03:43:38 PM
Get some amazing sound FX editors who can to some really subtle but immersive work and you've got the idea.
About the score by Ray Gamma	Oct 16th, 2008 03:47:47 PM
It's weird, but I must admit that I too imagined a sort of droning score as I read the book, something inhuman sounding. It's as though the sound of any discernable musical instruments on the score will somehow remind you that people are alive somewhere, playing those instruments. Know what I mean? It removes you from the bleakness.
The score wasn't Cave's by soylentphil	Oct 16th, 2008 03:57:35 PM
Test screening used a temp track.
John Carpenter rules!!!!!!!!! by crazybubba	Oct 16th, 2008 04:00:56 PM
Escape From NY-great movie, Halloween-great, Little China--great, The Thing--great. I don't want any lip about this. nuff said.
well said by Ray Gamma	Oct 16th, 2008 04:10:45 PM
test screening for this film = entirely unecessary and counter-productive publicity for what is sure to be a beautiful, harrowing film.
Im sure if test audiences saw No Country for Old Men by IndustryKiller!	Oct 16th, 2008 04:11:15 PM
They would have demanded to know why Anton Chigurh is so damn mean. Was he molested as a child? We need it spelled out! Remember we live in a world in which Willy Wonka's oddness was chalked up to his father being a rigid dentist. This is the kind of patronizing crap audiences are used to and it's just very very sad. Why the apocalypse happened is totally irrelevant to the book given that it's unknown and irrelevent to the characters so for an audience to be pissed about it is ridiculous.
WhinyNegativeBitch by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 16th, 2008 04:15:26 PM
THE ROAD ignored? Dude, the book was a monster hit, it won the Pulitzer Prize, and it's on Oprah's Book Club. If you weren't already aware of that before your post, you're also a giant fucking idiot.
FUCK I WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE by BurgerKing	Oct 16th, 2008 04:15:33 PM
fuck test audiences, arent they the stupid fucks who got I Am Legend to change its ending? Fuck them.
Exactly by Ray Gamma	Oct 16th, 2008 04:15:34 PM
It's precisely the ambiguous nature of the 'apocalypse' in McCarthy's book that makes it so powerful and timeless.
Has anyone noticed that by JoshDanger	Oct 16th, 2008 04:28:24 PM
The Road's original November release date had it opening the same weekend as Quantum of Solace? That could likely be a factor in its push back to December, especially if their preview screenings were mostly as positive as Mumbles Modine. Its not like they have to be afraid of finding an audience for an adaptation of one of last year's simultaneously best-selling AND universally acclaimed novels. Either way, sitting on a marquee next to the new James Bond movie would have been bad news for The Road's box office. Maybe I'm just being optimistic, though.
does anyone think.. by foree forehead	Oct 16th, 2008 04:29:46 PM
..the director from Children of Men could've done a job on The Road? no? shit, okay then..
CHUD is shit...this movie will be great... by TheWaqman	Oct 16th, 2008 04:47:13 PM
Honestly those fuckbags are so dumb. I've never really liked that site. Watch this movie be great.
Everbody is missing the major point of Beaks post by Xiphos_2	Oct 16th, 2008 04:48:39 PM
The AICN search engine doesn't suck anymore?
The book isn't even that good unless you are a dad by Rupee88	Oct 16th, 2008 05:17:11 PM
I'm not, but I could see how a guy with a son could get into it. Besides that, it is well written but not especially creative or original.
blah... by OBSD	Oct 16th, 2008 05:32:10 PM
Here is every line of dialog in this book: "Papa, I'm scared." "Don't be scared, okay?" "okay" "Okay?" "Okay" Repeat that exchange about 100 or so times and you have about 95% of the dialog in the book.
I read "The Road" in about two hours... by caruso_stalker217	Oct 16th, 2008 05:33:55 PM
...while I was sick in bed one morning. That it was depressing but good shit. I've got, whaddaya call 'em, high hopes for this. Bein' a fan of THE PROPOSITION and all and Viggo is cool and shit.
I am a dad by Ray Gamma	Oct 16th, 2008 05:40:02 PM
And this is a great book. When you become a dad, you will know it's a great book too.
Fuck you, guy who didn't like the film by O_Goncho	Oct 16th, 2008 06:05:15 PM
This film is awesome and Viggo is a fucking GOD! I don't know you and nor have I seen this film yet but damn it I'M RIGHT AND YOU'RE WRONG. Also, guys, my penis is like huge; I mean SERIOUSLY big.
If this gets screwed! by Tyler_Turden	Oct 16th, 2008 06:06:15 PM
Mark my words, this will be a great film. "industry" got it right. Imagine how the test screenings would have gone for "Jesse James, No Country and There will blood?" they would have butchered those film into an unsavoury mess.To manufacture optimism,one only needs to have read the book and beleive in the crew's pedigree. All this shit about the coke can is embarrassing, that scene is fucking subversive. Finally, if you didn't enjoy the book (your call) why the fuck are you commenting on the film? please gloat somewhere else.
Mr. Nice Gaius by Admiral Akwelches	Oct 16th, 2008 07:10:26 PM
Thank you for pointing me to that. If that's true, that is fantastic news. Todd Field is the right person for that job and seems like the perfect vehicle to win him his oscar. I'd like to see Jackie Earle Haley as the little monster/child/man the judge keeps in the cage. Thanks again!
Why would you ever "focus group" a film like this?... by FlickaPoo	Oct 16th, 2008 07:32:44 PM
...any random person who doesn't know what they're in for is going to HATE this story...what did they expect?...the film sounds perfect as it is...they BETTER NOT FUCK IT UP.
I gave THE ROAD to my Dad to read... by FlickaPoo	Oct 16th, 2008 07:41:50 PM
...because he was saying how much he likes End Of Civilization, Just A Handfull OF Survivors type stories. He read about sixty pages and put it down because it was "awfully dark don't you think?".......!!???....."too dark"??!!...I thought we were talking about the end of the world, no food, canned shit starting to run out...what did he expect?....The End Of Civilization The Fucking Musical?
Admiral Akwelches by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 16th, 2008 07:53:42 PM
No problem, you're welcome! Interesting idea you've got there regarding Jackie Earle Haley. If he were to be cast, it may be worth giving him a more prominent role, like one of the members of the Glanton Gang.
I actually think it might be kind of cool if it came out in the by heavenlykid	Oct 16th, 2008 08:45:07 PM
After how children of Men, probably the best movie that came out that year (in my opinion) tanked, I think it's pretty clear that selling a science fiction/prestige oscar pedigree movie can be tough, especially with the line up of movies like Frost Nixon, the Reader, The wrestler, and probably twenty other movies fighting for that market. I say release it in February even if it's awesome. If it's the only great movie out there people will be more inclined to take a chance, especially if it's competing with the usual bland romantic comedies that get dumped in the spring.
Spring! christ, sorry for forgetting the word of my subject. by heavenlykid	Oct 16th, 2008 08:48:04 PM
still stand by my above comment, though.
"Those fucks at CHUD have their heads .... by m_prevette	Oct 16th, 2008 08:48:35 PM
most of the time they go into bitchy fanboy mode" .... Umm...and what is THIS place if not Bitchy Fanboy Central...
if you liked The Road.. by foree forehead	Oct 16th, 2008 09:43:55 PM
...the book, you might like Riddley Walker by R. Hoban, Cloud Atlas by D. Mitchell, and Fiskadoro by D. Johnson. recs over, carry on.
Mr. Nice Gaius by Admiral Akwelches	Oct 16th, 2008 10:11:32 PM
Yes, that role recommendation was more for comic relief, but I can definitely see him in the film. If done right, there could be lots of esteemed character actors throughout the movie. I'd love to see Tommy Lee Jones in it somewhere (Glanton? too old?). We'll see.
Thanks for the link, mrbeaks by gotilk	Oct 16th, 2008 10:53:10 PM
Loved that interview.
I'm tired of... by DanielKurland	Oct 16th, 2008 10:56:55 PM
books that have been around for ages being adapted, and then tons of the author's other works are adapted just because the first adaptation was good. A competent director obviously goes a long way.
"What other beverage would last through a nuclear winter?" by moviemaniac-7	Oct 16th, 2008 11:00:24 PM
That is an awesome ad slogan for Coke. Hope CHUD is wrong and this turns out great. I liked The Proposition. Moody and tense.
HERE IS AN UPDATE FROM THE CHUD GUY... by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 16th, 2008 11:28:31 PM
...(Kabong) who originally said that the test screening was, ""a complete fiasco on every creative level.": "Anthony Sollecito really said it a lot better than I could in the pre-release thread for the film. I have no doubt that the book is probably pretty strong stuff, and I'd like it very much. Let me explain a bit where I'm coming from- -I was a fan of "The Proposition", enough that John Hillcoat was a guy I wanted to see future films of. -I actually didn't at all find Nick Cave's work on "Jesse James" repetitive- it's one of my favorite scores, and I think it's got at least five or six gorgeous motifs heard throughout the film. -One of the talkbackers mentioned "Time Of The Wolf", which is a similar story, but also really gripping and unforgettable. The post-production editing, however lengthy, is certainly something that will improve this movie, and I think "The Road" could end up being a pretty interesting movie with a few reshoots here and there, but the material they have there just doesn't come together at all. There's a lot to like about it- I was fond of the production design, and I thought the atmosphere was sufficiently creepy. Viggo Mortensen is always great (and again, guy loves showing his balls) and he gives a performance here that's actually unexpectedly vulnerable- it's a different characterization from some of the larger-than-life personas he's been playing the last few years. A lot to like, and while the score was definitely temp, I have no doubt that Nick Cave's finished work will be one of the film's highlights. I didn't mean to come across as someone who thought it was a shit movie, because it's very obviously unfinished, with basic nip-tucks needed, stuff like that. But the cut last night lacked focus, verve and a real sense of identity."
Forget the Chud guy. Early word is that its excellent by zapano	Oct 17th, 2008 03:35:09 AM
It is definitely one of the top films to look out for in the next few months.
Chud is full of smug assholes by Lost Jarv	Oct 17th, 2008 05:39:48 AM
just ignore them.
WhinyNegativeBitch by Mr. Nice Gaius	Oct 17th, 2008 09:21:33 AM
Harry Potter of James Bond? So, you're resorting to a tent-pole franchise comparison now? Weak. Funny...your whole point seems to be that nobody cares about this movie. So, obviously you don't know what you're talking about and you couldn't be more wrong.
I read the Road for the first time in autumn by Shigeru	Oct 17th, 2008 11:09:56 AM
and sitting across from my Grandmother who layed unconscious in a hospice bed. She died when I was about halfway through the book. how fucked up is that
RELEASE THIS IN 2008 by Freakemovie	Oct 17th, 2008 11:11:18 AM
The Weinstein Company would be idiotic to push this to 2009 because even if the film underperforms with anybody, I see no possibility where Viggo Mortensen wouldn't be a major contender for Best Actor. Also, the EW.com article mentions that TWC might be pushing "The Reader" for its Oscar campaign instead -- stupid argument. Everybody knows you concentrate on more than one film per Oscar season, because most of them have buzz early on and then fizzle once they're released. Plus, I REALLY want to see the darn thing. As for the movie being bleak, if that's a surprise to any studio exec, they should be fired. Besides, Spoiler Alert all things considered, the story has a happy ending.
Its The Feel Good Post-Apocalyptic Hit Of The Holidays!! by skimn	Oct 17th, 2008 11:46:04 AM
I really wouldn't be surprised if the studios release this in NY and LA around the end of the year for Oscar consideration, then open wide in January. Beyond those who read the book, this would be tough sell around the holiday season.
i really hope this is a great film by FleshMachine	Oct 17th, 2008 12:20:47 PM
the book is ..well it's haunting. the still and casting seemed great...this is bad news.
2nd CHUD review is bullshit by RadioactivePinky	Oct 17th, 2008 12:28:14 PM
Calling McCarthy's dialogue trite and stupid! I bet this guy's favorite books are found in the section of the store with trees and fuzzy animals on the wall! McCarthy is hands down one of the greatest living writers and any faithful adaptation of his work is going to be good, for those of us who actually have a brain. This guy probably liked Crash too because it was so complex and had blah blah blah.
The Road by TerryMalloy	Oct 17th, 2008 12:51:24 PM
kicks ass. The only book ever that made me weep openly in public.
Shigeru by TerryMalloy	Oct 17th, 2008 12:52:01 PM
That is REALLY FUCKED UP
TerryMalloy by BiggusDickus	Oct 17th, 2008 01:46:40 PM
Same here. The book blew me away, which is why I won't be seeing the movie. Not because I think it'll be bad, just 'cos I don't want the interpretation in my head altered. I had a friend (old hippy) who wouldn't see LOTR for the same reasons. I couldn't get his POV at the time. I do now.
Yeah, I'm kind of torn Biggus by TerryMalloy	Oct 17th, 2008 01:55:05 PM
There are so many moments that I have fantasized being realized cinematically but if they have "sentimentalized it" then there's no way I want the book to be ruined for me.
Finished this a few days ago. by gotilk	Oct 24th, 2008 11:52:33 PM
I was moved and introduced to a way of writing, a style that I never assumed I'd embrace or enjoy. It's sparse, poetic, perfect. The fact that the film is being released later than expected is NOT OKAY. (not okay? .. no.. not okay. .. ok)I want to see it now.
But bleak? (spoilers) by gotilk	Oct 25th, 2008 12:04:14 AM
Maybe on the surface. The real final message I was left pondering after finishing this was that in order to survive, we all have to think of ourselves as "the good guys", even if by all accounts we are not. Evil only exists in the minds and the words of those who survive, those left after the evil is done. Certainly the man was not evil, but the boy could see that he was not entirely good. Certainly not generous. Focused, rightly on keeping his boy alive. But undeniably selfish in the process and blind to hope. In the end the boy survives not by living by the man's rules and standards, but by letting go and taking a risk, exactly what his father(or.. the man) told him not to do. We're left to wonder if his choice was the right one. The poetic beauty of those last few words do nothing to make me feel we can assume survival, or an "I am legend" happy ending. But it's not a bleak ENDING by any means.

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Update! John Hillcoat's THE ROAD Stretching Into 2009?

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